Busybody neighbours complained to councils more than 5,600 times in just one year over domestic wood-burning

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests by campaign group Mums for Lungs, show that only four penalties of around £300 each were handed out.

Just four councils – Bolsover, Bristol, Horsham and Wakefield – out of 159 that responded issued any penalty notices for wood-burning.

St Helen's Council issued four abatement notices, whilst Norwich City Council issued a single community protection warning.

The starkest contrast in enforcement appears between Birmingham and Bromley councils.

Birmingham received 783 complaints about domestic fires but failed to issue a single enforcement letter or conduct any inspections.

By comparison, Bromley Council in South East London issued 275 enforcement letters and carried out 135 inspections in response to complaints.

Birmingham City Council later clarified that of their total complaints, only 25 were specifically related to house chimneys, noting that the larger figure included barbecues and bonfires.

"Generally speaking, appliances you can buy will be exempt. However, our teams will investigate any reports of people using non-exempt appliances," said Councillor Majid Mahmood, Birmingham's cabinet member for environment and transport.

Other councils showed varying levels of enforcement across England.

Manchester City Council received 213 complaints but issued just seven warning letters. Cheshire East took no action despite receiving 141 complaints.

North Tyneside Council wrote 270 enforcement letters - the second highest in the country behind Bromley - in response to just 21 complaints.

Durham Council received 236 complaints and sent out 32 letters. Dudley handled 234 complaints and issued 13 warning letters.

England's chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty has warned that the trend for wood-burners risks undoing years of improvements to air quality.

In his annual report, Whitty wrote: "Unfortunately, an enthusiasm for wood-burners has reversed this positive trend over the last decade in many cities, particularly in affluent areas."

He stressed that in urban areas, existing laws on smokeless fuels should be followed due to the dangers of high-concentration air pollution.

Government data shows wood-burning is now responsible for 22 per cent of particle pollution in the UK, compared to 18 per cent from traffic.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has called for wood-burning to be phased out to reduce childhood asthma rates.

While wood-burners are not banned outright in the UK, strict regulations apply within smoke control areas.

Burners cannot emit more than 3g of smoke per hour, unless they are on Defra's list of exempt appliances.

Owners must use approved fuels with less than 20 per cent moisture content, identifiable by the 'Ready to Burn' logo.

Local authorities can issue fines between £175 and £300 for breaking these rules.

Penalties can rise to £1,000 for using unauthorised fuel in non-exempt appliances, potentially reaching £5,000 for repeat offenders if cases go to court.

All new log burners must also comply with 'Ecodesign' rules to reduce smoke and pollutant emissions.